It isn’t easy to be a woman in India in 2015, and you’d better believe it never has been. Here’s to the women who made a huge impact here, despite the gender-based hurdles they were born with.
Kittur Chennamma -- led an armed rebellion against the East India Company.
(23 October 1778 – 21 February 1829)
A princely state rebel queen, Kittur Chennamma is an icon of the Indian independence movement. She is best known for her leadership in an armed rebellion against the East India Company. She did not give up and was arrested. She passed away in imprisonment.
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit -- the first woman (and first Indian) president of the United Nations General Assembly.
(18 August 1900 – 1 December 1990)
Vijaya Lakshmi was the first Indian woman to hold a cabinet post. She served as the president of the Indian National Congress twice.
She was also India’s ambassador to Russia during the late forties, and the governor of Maharashtra later.
Pandit is best known for being the first woman president of the UN General Assembly.
National Portrait Gallery London National Portrait Gallery London - http://www.npg.org.uk / Via en.wikipedia.org
Savitribai Phule -- started India's first school for girls.
(3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897)
Savitribai Phule was married at the age of nine, and when she moved to Pune, she took with her a book that was given to her by a Christian missionary. After learning to read and write from her new husband Jotirao Phule, she changed the face of education in India forever. After taking up training at Ms. Farar’s Institution at Ahmednagar and in Ms. Mitchell’s school in Pune, she became the first Indian woman to become a teacher, and opened up the first school for girls in India in 1848.
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay -- social activist and Indian freedom fighter.
(3 April 1903 – 29 October 1988)
A student in London, Kamaladevi came to India upon hearing about Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. She took charge of the women's section and began working for the welfare of women. She became the first female candidate to run for a Legislative seat in India.
She was also a patron of arts and helped preserve and revive India's traditional handicrafts industry. She received the Padma Bhushan award in 1955 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1987.